


Cost of The Chase

by murswrites



Series: Altruistic Adoration [1]
Category: Peaky Blinders (TV)
Genre: F/F, F/M, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-22
Updated: 2020-06-22
Packaged: 2021-03-03 22:33:49
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Major Character Death
Chapters: 16
Words: 19,486
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24863110
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/murswrites/pseuds/murswrites
Summary: 𝐂𝐎𝐒𝐓 𝐎𝐅 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐒𝐄 | ❝I'm with the Shelby's, you lot are always in trouble.❞━ IN WHICH Sylvette Taylor returns home after nearly twenty years to find a shell in place of her best friend. Or, alternatively, Sylvette Taylor pays the price of running with the Shelby clan.| COMPLETED| © amirahiddleston 2020| Thomas Shelby x Fem!OC| Peaky Blinders S1| Book 1 in the "Altruistic Adoration" Series
Relationships: Ada Shelby/Freddie Thorne, Esme Shelby/John Shelby, Grace Burgess/Tommy Shelby, Thomas Shelby/Original Character
Series: Altruistic Adoration [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1799023
Kudos: 6





	1. Extended Summary

_(_ Cost of The Chase _)_

 **SHE WAS FORCED TO LEAVE THE ONLY PEOPLE WHO HELPED HER**.

Ten years after her mother's passing, Sylvette Taylor was finally adopted _legally_.  
She was taken away from Birmingham, leaving behind the family who took her in and her best friend, Tom.

Her new family lived in France, meaning she'd have to learn how to live in a place where English was hardly spoken.   
Sylvette's new home was completely different from that of Small Heath and she found this out very quickly.

In 1914, the Great War began in France and everything went to shit. As soon as Sylvette could leave, she did.   
She didn't leave behind the same family she grew up with, she left behind a broken home with only one member left, the father.

She didn't know what to expect when she returned to England. She wasn't expecting her childhood best friend to be so different.   
Sylvette could tell that the war changed him but didn't know how to approach it.

But her heart seemed to know how to approach Tom's changed personality.   
By wanting something more from him, even if it was just stopping him from trusting the wrong women.   
Yet, Sylvette didn't know how far she was willing to go to keep her childhood best friend safe...

 **Sylvette Taylor**  
 _(_ Keira Knightley _)_


	2. Extended Summary

_(_ Epigraph + Graphic Gallery _)_

❝You told me you'd be there before anything happened.❞

━━━━

The most dangerous woman  
Of all is the one who refuses  
To rely on your sword to  
Save her because  
She carries her own

**⎯ R.H. SIN**

━━━━


	3. Prologue

_(_ Prologue _)_

━━━━

Being a child in England during the late 1890s wasn't the easiest. Especially when you didn't have a real family to turn to when the times got tough.

When Fantasia Taylor died shortly after giving birth to her only child, the Shelby family took the child in. Arthur Shelby Senior had children of his own, but he'd known the Taylor's since he was a young lad and was doing them a favor.

The young girl, Sylvette, grew up with the Shelby siblings. Growing close to one, in particular, Thomas Shelby. Being the same age gave them room to grow together. 

They became the best of friends, never straying from one another's sides. That was until the _government_ stepped in, accusing the family of stealing the child. She didn't want to leave but soon enough, she was on a ship to France.

At just nine years old, she was taken away from the only home she'd ever known and forced to live with people she didn't know. Sylvia didn't know why it happened, she loved the Shelby's, she loved her best friend and his friendship. She hadn't thought of living any other way. Then she met a family with little to no knowledge of the English language which caused the rift between her and them to grow exponentially. 

Not known to Sylvia, Arthur Shelby left shortly after she did. Only with him, it was without warning. Sylvia had to adapt and change, but she never lost her fire, her sarcasm, her natural ability to irritate _anyone_.

She never lost the things that Thomas admired about her. Sylvia stayed bold, stayed loud, she only did it in broke French, poetry, and music compositions. 

The family that adopted the young girl was one of high reputation. She soon realized they adopted a poor English girl from Birmingham in order to look good. They even hoped she would marry their son.

That idea was put to a halt– _much to her pleasure_ –when the Great War broke out. Germany was trying to invade France and Sylvia was terrified.

Her adopted brother went into war, but never returned home afterward. Once her mother passed due to the pain and tuberculosis... Sylvia knew she had to return to her home, to England. She left the place she'd never felt at home and went for the one she felt as though she belonged. 

Slyvia was surprised with what she finds, her dear Shelby's had become gangsters. They lost contact after her second year in France, she knew nothing of their life


	4. 01 | Real Family

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sylvia finally comes home after a lifetime away, she meets a new friend and says hello to an old one.

_(_ Real Family _)_

❝I never found a real family as I did with yours.❞

━━━━

Her knees still felt weak from the ship ride, but she felt a surge optimism as the car took her closer and closer to Small Heath. Her old home, the place she met her best friend. The car slowed to a stop, on the corner of Garrison Lane and Witton Street. The roads appeared to be very muddy from the rain. She cringed a bit at the thought of dirtying her boots. The driver came around the car to retrieve her single bag of luggage.

Sylvette stepped out of the car with ease due to her taller height. Many times, people would ask her if she came from a family of giants. All of her family members in France were shorter than her and it caused a multitude of questions that Sylvia hated answering. "Oi, I coulda helped you." She just gives the driver a smile.

"Oh, I know. Thank you," He handed her the luggage with what looked to be apprehension. "I need not a man to help me." This caused his eyebrows to shoot up in surprise, Sylvia couldn't help but smirk at him. She held her bag on her forearm as she made her way toward The Garrison. Perhaps she would find a familiar face inside.

The sound of talking managed to break through the closed doors as Sylvia used her left hand to open the door. Inside the pub is a rather large number of men. Upon her entrance, they all seemed to pause and stare at her in confusion. Sylvia knew exactly why. She was dressed far better than anyone inside. 

She looked wrong against the background in her clearly expensive clothing. Sylvia didn't even bother looking at any of the men for more than a mere glance since she was on a mission. A mission to find one of the Shelby boys, or even the Ada she read about in Tom's letters. Sylvia made her way over to the bar, she checked the counter for any liquids and when she deemed it clean enough, she sat her bag upon it. 

A man walked over, tall, wide, with blond hair that looked stained with sweat. "The hell are ya doin' in here?" Her eyes widened at his tone.

"I'm looking for one of the Shelby's." Sylvia saw something flash in his eyes, she couldn't tell if it was fear or admiration. Sylvia chose fear. 

He shook his head, "None of them are up in ere'."

"So you're saying they do come here after all?" He nodded his head slowly. Something about how his shoulders tensed up at the mere mention of the last name made Sylvia wonder just how much Small Heath has changed. It had been nearly twenty years since Sylvia had been home and it felt different, but it felt nice. "Well, have you seen any of them lately?"

The man nodded again, "Thomas left just a little while ago, haven't seen em' since." Sylvia felt an involuntary smile stretch on her red lips, oh how she's missed him. 

She sat her hand on her bag and began removing her gloves. Sylvia pushes them inside before clasping the cover again. "My name is Sylvette Taylor," Recognition seemed to spark in his eyes as he shakes her hand. It's dainty in comparison but Sylvia knew she had a sturdy handshake. 

"Oh, you're the girl that got adopted aye? Well, I'm Harry," Sylvia agreed with a nod, "Can I get ya anything to drink? We've got whiskey?" She nodded once more and reached for her purse, but the man put a hand out to stop her, "It's on the house." She felt the crease in her forehead as she slowly moved her hands away from the purse. How odd...

The door burst open and Sylvia reached for the knife she kept in her purse for protection. Women were always in danger and Sylvia refuses to become a dead body in the paper. The unfamiliar face confused Sylvia, but the young man seemed to recognize her immediately. "Sylvette?! Is that truly you?" The young man pronounces both t's incorrectly which made Sylvia grit her teeth. He ran to her and hugged her.

She couldn't find the name to his face, "It's me, John." Her gasp was rather low but audible. The young John had grown up to be a handsome young man. How he recognized her was unknown to her, but it was great to finally put a face to the name. She never met him, but remembered Tom writing to her about his new little brother and how much he resembled an egg. 

"Oh! It's wonderful to finally meet you, my you've grown so much–" Sylvia remembered how he pronounced her name and her true intent of coming into this pub, "–the t's are silent, you idiot. Now, where is Tom?" John's eye grew darker, this caused worry to blossom in her chest. Was he dead? He couldn't be though, Harry said he'd seen him not long ago.

John took a step back, "I'm not sure. But if you like I can walk you to the house? And carry that rather... fancy bag ya got there." When he reached for the bag, Sylvia smacked his hand away.

"I've got it. And thank you," He seemed conflicted when she quickly downed the glass of whiskey that Harry served to her just a minute prior. Sylvia hadn't expected to find the Shelby's so quickly but felt proud of the swift progress.

John led Sylvia out of the pub and toward Watery Lane. "What have you been up to?" Sylvia thought about her answer, her gloves are on her hands again. She's warm inside her coat, cozy even.

"In the years since I left?" She decided to reply with a question and John nodded, "It's been lonely if I am being honest. I never found a real family as I did with yours. I had a family if you're being technical. But as I grew up, I found that they just wanted me there to marry their son." Sylvia nearly puked at the thought, "Fucking disgusting innit?" Sylvia's accent became muddled, her irritation causing it. 

"Well, that's no good, come on. We've made it." The walk seemed short to Sylvia or she was so blinded by her anger that she wasn't paying much attention.

The house looked the same, or at least it seemed as though it did. She stood in the street, staring at the place she used to stay. "Quit standin' in the street like a fool, come on Sylvette." John pulled her along and she broke out of her trance to go inside.


	5. 02 | Needs Another

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Polly confides in Sylvia while the younger woman tries to see her best friend again.

_(_ Needs Another _)_

❝Every lady needs another.❞

━━━━

The house hasn't changed at all, at least according to her memory it hasn't... the dark bricks looked dirtier than before, the entirety of Watery Lane was oddly frozen in time. All that's changed is the fact that Sylvia is now an adult. 

Sylvia has to stop herself from running her gloved hand along the flower wallpaper. It is yellowed, a sign of its old age and she could nearly see the memories of running through the kitchen. "John, is that you?" Sylvia recognizes this voice and nearly runs toward it. 

"Aunt Polly!" Sylvette exclaims and Polly looks as if she were imagining the young girl reappearing. 

She squints at Sylvia, "Is that who I think it is? _Sylvette?"_ The brunette nods and Polly brings her in for a hug. "When did you return?" Her voice is muffled against Sylvia's shoulder as John takes her bag.

"Just this morning, I got off the boat and had sponges for legs." Polly laughs and holds Sylvia's face between her hands.

Polly's eyes ran over every feature on Sylvia's face, "My goodness, you're as pretty as your mother was." Sylvia smiles even wider, her brows coming together at the bittersweetness of the statement. Polly's eyes widen, "You must be famished, come, sit! Sit!" She releases Sylvia and pushes her toward a chair at the table.

Sylvia begins removing her coat, the house being a bit warmer than the crisp afternoon air. "Oh, allow me." Polly took the long traveling coat from the young woman and hands it up. Sylvia didn't miss the confusion on John's face before he left the kitchen.

━━━━  
 _Later_  
━━━━

Once the tea had been served, Sylvia could feel Aunt Polly's eyes on her. She was asking questions without articulating them. "You can ask me anything you like, Aunt Pol." Polly nodded and Sylvia gave her a reassuring smile to encourage it.

"I know, I'm just tryin' to decide which is the best one to start with." Sylvia understood this greatly. Always having questions but never knowing how to ask them. "Why come back now?" The question quite frankly, caught Sylvette off guard. She hadn't expected Polly to get straight to the point, but alas. Sylvia looks at her reflection in the teacup. 

She turned her head up to look at Polly. "My family is dead." Polly's eyes widened but she remained silent, "The son they had, Gaston... he died in the war. Then soon after, Maria, the mother... I couldn't stay with Paul alone. The entire home reeked of... of grief. And I'd never even wanted to stay as long as I had. I wanted to leave and come home since I was sixteen but they wouldn't allow it. _Bastards_." Sylvia cursed under her breath, not wanting to upset Polly.

"Oh, darling you... you went through it, didn't ya?" Sylvia just smiled weakly. She had spent quite a long time on the water so she still felt a bit off. Being on dry land and all. Polly held her hand against Sylvia's cheek and the brunette couldn't help but lean into the touch. "Have you seen Thomas yet?" Sylvia shook her head. "I ought to warn ya then." 

Sylvia sat up in her chair straighter, the mere mention of the boy she had known for ten years made her mind clear of all other thoughts. "Warn me?" She was curious, as one is.

"He fought in the war." The little color that sat in Sylvia's cheeks drained like an old teabag. What did that mean? "He's not the same boy you may remember." Sylvia looked down at the wooden table, why of course he's different... he fought for his country. 

"Is he alright?" Polly nodded, Sylvia felt she was withholding the truth. "...will he be happy to see me?" Her voice was uncharacteristically quiet. 

Polly hits her hand on the table which causes Sylvia to jump a bit, "Oh! Of course, he will be. How couldn't he, when you've turned out to be such a beauty?" Sylvia hated being reduced to just her looks. She often felt too skinny due to undereating... in France, Sylvia was an oddity. She was taller than almost everyone she met. Standing at a staggering 170 CM, Sylvia was taller than all of the women around.

"But I've got some news, I know you've just returned and all... but Ada needs another woman." Sylvia nods for Polly to continue, "She's gotten pregnant." Wide brown eyes meet blue ones, Sylvia takes a sip of the cooling tea. 

Sylvia sets the cup down, "She's gotten herself into it, hasn't she? Do the boys know?" Polly shakes her head and Sylvia winces, that's no good. "Well, whenever she's around, call for me and I'll be there. Every lady needs another." Sylvia set her hand on Polly's and squeezed in reassurance. A thought dawns on Sylvia, she has nowhere to stay. "I don't mean to intrude, but I was wondering if I could stay here for a night. Then I can find my own place-" 

"Nonsense girl, we have plenty of room for you. I can just kick Finn into another room I'm sure the girls won't mind sharing for a bit. Come on then." Polly claps her hands, Sylvia wipes her hands on the front of her dress out of habit. It was something Maria would constantly call Sylvia out on. "Follow me," Sylvia quickly collects her bag, not wanting to make Aunt Polly wait.

The younger woman paused, not recognizing the name 'Finn'. "Wait," Polly paused at the base of the stairs, "Who's Finn?" This caused Polly to laugh as if there was some underlying joke.

"My, it truly has been ages. Finn's the youngest Shelby boy. Then there's Fawnie, Finn's 'twin'... then little ole' Winifred... just a baby yet. I mean, she is fifteen, but still... so young." Sylvia was in awe, to say the least. It was baffling alone to hear that Ada was pregnant, let alone seeing John in the flesh as a full-grown adult and not a red baby.

━━━━

The room was far smaller than the one she had in France, but it held memories. Sylvia stands alone in the room, looking around slowly and cherishing the memories. She presses her fingers into the creases that they pressed into the wall as children. It showed their growing heights, Sylvia was tall for her age, Thomas was always a wee bit shorter than she was but that didn't stop him from teasing her.

The small smile on her lips fades when she heard the sound of voices begin to rise from below her feet. What in the world could be going on down there?! Sylvia bites her lip, trying to decide whether or not she should be nosy. "Nosy." She decides out loud and begins walking down the stairs, she walks into the kitchen and nearly falls down.

He must have heard the gasp that escaped her lips because the tense figure turned around with a fire blazing in his pale blue eyes. They trailed over Sylvia, clearly trying to figure out who she was. She smiled, not wide enough to show her teeth but clearly enough for him to realize who it was. "Hi, Tom." Nobody ever calls him Tom anymore, he forbid them to after she left. Not that Sylvia knew of it.

Even though he was a little ten-year-old at the time, the family knew he couldn't handle hearing the nickname falling from anyone else's lips.

She hoped he'd stay but one look back at Polly's face and he left. Sylvia's eyebrows droop in sadness, all she got was the ghost of a smile. His eyes seemed so angry... he had changed. _But just how much?_ Slyvia wondered.


	6. 03 | Finally Taller

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sylvia, hurt from Tom's quick disappearance gets drunk and finds herself back home in the company of the disappearing man.

_(_ Finally Taller _)_

❝Besides the fact that you're _finally_ taller than I am❞

━━━━

She didn't know how to feel about his sudden disappearance. She had expected something else... something _more_. She sat at the bar in The Garrison, drunk as ever. "Get me another one pretty lady." Whenever Sylvia got wasted she proved to be... less herself. The woman who said her name was Grace nodded and poured another drink. 

Sylvia laid her head on the cool top of the bar, relishing in the feeling. The feeling slightly dulling her horrendous headache. She knew it would only worsen her pain by drinking more but getting drunk was all she could think about now. Sylvia thought of a wonderful reunion in her head.

She thought about how she and Thomas would go somewhere, just to talk. But it turns out that Aunt Polly's words held far more weight than she had been expecting. "Are you sure you can handle another?" Sylvia rose her eyebrow at the blonde.

"You are a barmaid, correct?" Grace nodded, "Then bloody serve me! I'm payin' ain't I?" Sylvia also got angry when she got drunk. An angry _and_ emotional woman is not to be meddled with. Sylvia's eyes were drooping, it was hardly nightfall and she could barely see straight. But a wave of nausea has hit Sylvia like a horse. 

Fighting against the urge to vomit, she downed the glass of whiskey and slammed a shilling on the bar. "There ya go," Her voice was curt and bitter. Just like the aftertaste on her tongue. She needed water. Sylvia stumbled off of the stool, she nearly fell but caught herself with a giggle. Typically after a _fleeting_ burst of anger, she would get to laughing.

It seemed as though that tonight was one of those nights. When Sylvia finally walked outside, she realized that it was raining. The cold water felt amazing on her skin, she wasn't wearing a coat so it soaked right through her dress as she walked back to the Shelby residence. Sylvia smiled with her eyes closed a majority of the walk.

That is until she was nearly run over by a taxi. She cursed at the driver loudly and vulgarly, very unladylike. She struggled with the lock on the door but managed to get it after using her dress to grip the doorknob. Although soaked to the bone, Sylvia felt warm and bubbly. As though she'd been laying by a fireplace. Slyvia walked up the stairs slowly, she leaned on the wall for support before the sound of feet rushing toward her caused her to nearly fall.

When the hands gripped her waist, she felt ice shoot through her veins. Her fist collided with her attacker's throat before her arms are pinned to her side. She was going to die. Sylvia's wide brown eyes met the pale blue ones of Tom Shelby. The fire she vaguely remembered was extinguished, they're now an ocean blue. 

Swelling with concern. "Are you alright?" This was the first time she'd ever hear Tom's voice and she probably won't even remember it. He loosened his grip on her. He looked to be in a rush.

"Shouldn't you run off again?" Her words were bitter and her teeth were beginning to chatter, the cold was setting in. Tom _almost_ smiled, perhaps it was the fact that she hadn't changed much. Or perhaps the prospect of her dying from a cold was satisfying to him. 

Tom took a step away, he looked to the front door. _"I'll be back."_ Sylvia wouldn't meet his eyes, she just nodded and didn't watch him as he left the house.

━━━━  
_Later  
_━━━━

Her entire body shook due to her low temperature. Sobriety had taken its toll long ago. Since then, she's been shaking in the bed trying to warm up in any sense. She breathed out a gasp, the sound of her teeth battering against one another was going to make her go mad.

The door opened and she looked up to see the one entering, Tom. He had a folded blanket in hand. Sylvia sat up against the urge to ignore him. She wanted to talk to him. "I didn't hear you come in." Thomas didn't meet her eyes for a moment, but when he did Sylvette wanted to give him a hug. She resisted the urge.

"I didn't want to wake you, although I suppose you haven't been able to fall asleep after running in the rain?" Sylvia shook her head, her hair had just begun to dry. Tom sat beside her, on the edge of the bed. Still not looking at her. The room remained silent for quite some time before he spoke. The same question Polly had asked, "Why'd you come back?" His voice was low, hardly above a whisper.

Sylvia didn't know if she should lie to him, say that she came back for him. Or that she had never left... _"I couldn't take it anymore,"_ Tom rose his eyebrows in question, "I hated it there from the first day to my last. They adopted me for sinister reasons and being alone with Paul was unbearable." Sylvia didn't want to bore him with the diminutive details.

"If you think things are going to be the same, you're wrong." Tom's voice was still gruff, water was dripping from his hair. What had happened when he left in a rush?

"If I thought that, I wouldn't have come back. I am not an idiot, Tom." Sylvia wasn't going to let him belittle her. "If I wanted the same thing then I wouldn't have left." She had no choice but it didn't matter. Sylvia should have fought a bit harder.

In Tom's hand sat the blanket, "You should get some rest." Sylvia shook her head. 

"I want to catch up. What's happened in the time I've been gone. Besides the fact that you're _finally_ taller than I am." She tried to make him laugh or even smile in the least but she got nothing in return. 

Tom stood up and opened his arms and with it, the blanket. "Come on, lay down. I can't have you getting a cold, Aunt Pol would kill me." Sylvia couldn't argue with him, she was freezing and tired from being intoxicated. She pulled the blankets over her and Tom spread the new addition by lifting it into the air. It landed on the bed softly. Tom looked her in the eyes for the first time, "We can catch up tomorrow. 10 AM, Polly'll take you there." 

Sylvia couldn't fight the sly remark, "It's a date." She barely mouthed the words and Tom nodded. 

"Yea, it is." With that, he was gone. It wasn't quite the reunion she had been expecting, but it made up for that afternoon.


	7. 04 | Cigarettes and Bullets

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tom finally sets time aside to see Sylvia and they catch up over breakfast.

_(_ Cigarettes and Bullets _)_

❝I don't understand how you keep muscle if all you eat is cigarettes and bullets.❞

━━━━

The bed was much more comfortable than Sylviawanted to admit. That's probably why she refused to get out of bed, or perhaps the terrible fucking headache that had her head throbbing in pain is why Sylvia wanted to sleep forever. The hangover hit her like a well-thrown punch when she finally woke up.

Sylvia was sure she got a cold because after throwing up everything in her stomach, her nose wheezed each time she sniffed. 

━━━━  
 _Before Breakfast_  
━━━━

She pressed her hands against the wall as Polly tightened the corset around her waist. "Jesus, Polly–" Sylvia gasped against the discomfort. She hadn't worn a corset in quite some time and Polly's smaller than Sylvette is, so it's _extremely_ tight.

"You wanted to be done up and I'm doin' that, now shut up," Polly snapped at Sylvia in a way that the younger woman knew she wasn't scolding maliciously.

Sylvia agreed, "Yes ma'am." Once Polly was done with the corset, she helped Sylvia pull the dress over her head. "Thank you, Pol." The dark-haired woman nodded.

"Alright now, just tell them to take you to The Chalamet, there's a carriage out front." This confused Sylvia, she was used to cars. Slyvia mumbles the name under her breath, not wanting to forget it. She tried to remember the last time she has traveled via carriage and struggled to.

But against her nervousness, she agreed, "The Chalamet?" Polly gave Syliva a quick nod, "He said you'd be taking me." She didn't find the idea of traveling alone very appealing but Polly just rolled her eyes.

"You'll be fine, trust me. Everyone here already knows you're with the Shelby's, there's no reason for you to be meddled with. _And_ I know about the knife you have, use it if ya need to." 

How had Polly found the knife that Sylvia would stash in her purse? Sometimes she'd put it in her boot but it was harder to grab from without looking suspicious. "Oh, alright then. I didn't know that, _why_ does that hold significance anyway?" Sylvia wanted to know just why the Shelby name was so frightening to everyone now. She remained unaffected but what in the world could they have done to become so feared?

"I'm sure Tom will tell you, go on now." Polly practically shooed the woman out of the room and down the stairs, handing Sylvia her purse and coat at the same time. "Be safe, dear." The sudden changing of Polly's tone gave Sylvia whiplash but she just nodded slowly as she hurried out the door. She checked the watch in her hand, it was nearing 10 in the morning.

The man opened the door and helped Sylvia up, "Where you off too?" His accent sounded Irish.

"The Chalamet." She answered simply and he nodded politely before setting off.

━━━━  
 _After the Ride_  
━━━━

Sylvia stood outside of the restaurant, it lookedto be a much nicer place than The Garrison. _Perhaps that's why Tom chose this instead?_ Sylvia thought wordlessly to herself. Not wanting to keep Tom waiting, Sylvia hurried inside. She made sure to look around before bursting in. It was rather empty which was pleasant. Sylvia didn't want to think that Tom used his influence to clear out the other people before she got there.

It was a possibility though since everyone seemed to fear the Shelby's. Along with them, now her. Although early in the morning, the lighting inside was dim and intimate. It unnerved Sylvia to be in such a poorly lit environment, it gave the memories that she wished would stay buried the ability to flash before her eyes. In order to clear her head, she swung it back and forth a bit, causing the thoughts to fade.

Tom was sat in the corner of the room, away from the few windows that adorned the pale walls. He hadn't noticed Sylvia immediately, but when he did he stood up and walked over to her. "Sylvia." He spoke before leading her to the table he previously sat at. 

She gave Tom a smile, "Hi," Slyvette's voice was quieter than she intended, making her sound a bit meek. Thomas pulled the seat out for her and she silently thanked him with a nod. He nodded without returning the smile. 

Once settled, Sylvia looked up at Tom, hoping he'd speak first. Before she could even open her mouth, a waiter walked over with a smile on his face. "Hello, welcome to The Chalamet. We are serving breakfast until eleven and have alcohol options available right now." He handed Sylvia a menu and reached out to hand Tom one, but Thomas declined it.

"I already know my order," The waiter nodded and waited while Sylvia looked at the options quickly.

"A full English breakfast please and some tea." He gave the duo a smile before taking Tom's order and leaving to get their drinks.

"You're seriously just going to have toast and _whiskey_?" Sylvia teased and Tom shrugged, "I don't understand how you keep muscle if all you eat is cigarettes and bullets." Thomas scoffed at Sylvia's dramatics but she saw the amusement in his blue eyes.

The lack of patrons in the restaurant meant that it was rather quiet again, especially now that the nameless waiter was gone. "And toast," He added.

"Ah yes, and toast, how could I forget?"

━━━━  
 _During Breakfast_  
━━━━

"I didn't want to leave, Tom, believe me," Sylviaspoke quietly while pushing the beans around on her plate, silently wishing she hadn't gotten them with the meal. 

He nodded, "I know," Sylvia still thought it was odd, hearing Tom's voice now. The memory of his high voice made a small smile paint itself on her lips. "Have you thought about finding your father?" Tom's question made the woman across from him choke on her tea.

Sylvia hasn't even given her father a single thought since she was young, giving up on the fantasy of living with her own family. She sought out a home and although Arthur Shelby Senior wasn't a nice man, Miriam Shelby, their mother was kind and loving. She treated Sylvia as her own and for that, the young woman felt eternally grateful for Miriam. 

Tom's eyes watched as Sylvia's expression kept changing with each passing second. From confusion to deep thought. "Well... I mean if, if the opportunity came up... I suppose I–" Sylvia turned the teacup around in hands nervously, trying to come up with the most accurate answer. "I..." She sighed, "I actually don't think I'd look. If he happened to walk through that there door, I don't know what I'd do." 

"I know what you'd do," Tom downed his whiskey, grabbing the bottle to pour some more.

She raised both eyebrows at Tom, "What would I do?" 

"You'd tell him to fuck off before tellin' him to go back to whatever hole he was hidin' in." There was a smirk on Tom's face and Sylvia couldn't help but laugh out loud at his words. "Have you met me little sisters yet?" She shook her head no, "Well, you're in for a treat. If you're done, come on, time to meet the little fucks I call siblings,"


	8. 05 | Steal His Wallet

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sylvia is making herself at home with the younger Shelby sisters before Tom asks her for help.

_(_ Steal his Wallet _)_

❝Good, I'm going to steal his wallet.❞

━━━━

"My goodness, aren't you the prettiest little princess?!" Sylvia exclaimed upon seeing Fawnie Shelby in her best dress. Winifred sat on the bed, reading the collected works of Edgar Allan Poe while Sylvia played dress-up with Fawn. "Give us a twirl," The woman helped the eleven-year-old spin despite Fawn tripping over her own feet.

Winnie shook her head, "I've seen more elegant pigs," Fawn gasped and stuck her tongue out at her older sister.

"And I've seen more elegant arseholes!" Fawnie spat out at her sister angrily. 

"Fawn!" Sylvia scolded and the girl's cheeks burned red, dipping her head while Winnie laughed under her breath, "You too, Winifred. Both of you mind your tongues, I don't want Polly thinkin' I'm a bad influence." 

The new voice brought Sylvia's attention away from the cursing little girls and to the man standing in the doorway, "I'm pretty sure she already knows you're a bad influence, her witchcraft intuition, and all that shite."

Sylvia gave him a dirty look, "I just scolded them for cursing, you can't come in here and curse right after like a godda– like a _sailor_." She bit her lip when she nearly cursed at Tom for cursing and he shook his head at her.

"Tommy, why're you lookin' at her like that?" Winnie asked with her nose wrinkled.

"Yea, Tommy!" Fawn exclaimed with her hands on her hips. Sylvia shook her head and ruffled Fawn's brown locks. "Heyyy!" She groaned, pushing Sylvia's hands away.

Their brother sighed, "Can I talk to you, Syl?" He pushed off the wall as she stood up to her full height, nodding. "I'll bring her back in one piece, don't worry little ladies." As Sylvia followed Tom out of the small bedroom, sounds of protests at being called 'little ladies' could be heard all the way down the stairs.

When the pair reached the kitchen, Tom finally stopped walking, pulling a chair out for both himself and Sylvia. She sat down and raised an eyebrow at him, her typical silent question gesture. "What do you think about horses, Sylvia?" Tom asked and it confused her.

"They're good animals, pretty, strong, but what's that matter?"

He shrugged, "Wanted to know if you would go to the races with myself and the barmaid from the Garrison," Tom flicked the ashes of his cigarette in the ashtray as Sylvia thought it over.

"Where?" She didn't like the thought of spending more time with Grace, the vibes that the barmaid exuded weren't the best. And Sylvia often feels exhausted after being around Grace for more than ten minutes.

"Cheltenham, I've got a plan to get us a _legal_ license. It'll be the first time the Shelby name has the word legal beside it and I want– no, I _need_ your help." 

Sylvia reached for his cigarette case so he handed her one, "What do you want me to do?" Tom smiled at Sylvia, she too was surprised she was willing to help without any information.

He leaned back in his seat after lighting her cigarette, "There's a man named Billy Kimber–"

The name sounded familiar to Sylvia, so she cut Tom off midsentence, "That bloke you pissed off? He shot the ceiling in the Garrison?"

Thomas agreed with a short nod, "I plan on getting him to hire the Peaky Blinders as protection, the Lee family keeps stealing from his bookies and if I return the cash... then Kimber will likely hire us. I just need you as a distraction. While I'm getting the money from Arthur, you're going to do _whatever_ it takes to get his eyes off of myself. I'll be visible no matter what, so get creative with it."

"Is he an arsehole?" Thomas nodded once more, "Good, I'm going to steal his wallet."

He laughed, "I bet you ten quid you can't– wait, you haven't even got ten quid, do you?" Sylvia slapped his arm denying his accusation.

"I'll have you know I've got plenty of money from my previous home. Do you even know how much an authentic ruby goes for? And a trust fund that's been put in my name since the war?" His eyes widened upon hearing that and Sylvia smiled widely solemnly, nodding as she took a puff from the cigarette, "It's a fucking lot, I'll say that. How else do you think I got that flat down the street?"

Tom shrugged, "Thought you might have kicked someone out and have been squatting there ever since. All because little Finn saw your bare arse." 

" _Hey_ _!_ Don't remind me... that little fuck won't stop blushing whenever I'm around... I feel bad for him if I'm honest, my arse isn't something godly."

"I'll bet it's as pale as the fuckin' moon. Oi!" Tom exclaimed as Sylvia began slapping his arm.

━━━━

Fawnie squealed as Finn chased her up thestairs with mud on his hands, "Oi! You better not get fuckin' mud on my walls, boy!" Polly shouted from the kitchen were she and Sylvia stood side-by-side, cutting up potatoes for dinner. Polly sighed, mumbling incoherent words under her breath. 

Sylvia laughed to herself, "That little boy is going to give his sister a heart attack,"

"I'll say, I'm just glad she doesn't retaliate with mud... usually it's pushing him in puddles or convincing him to do absolutely bonkers shit. That little girl is a master manipulator."

"You mean that she's too much like Tom?" Polly snorted but nodded, taking a handful of potatoes and dropping them into the pot. "Where is he anyway?" The older woman shrugged as Sylvia finished up chopping the vegetables. 

Making stew with Polly was soothing, the smell of sage burned in the air and calmed Sylvia further. "That boy doesn't tell me shit unless he's in some shit." She scratched her chin, "Have you seen Winifred? It's been three hours, she said she'd be back by noon," Polly looks over Sylvia's shoulder toward the front door. 

Sylvette shook her head, "I could go ask around for her, I'm sure she's with that boy..." She hissed through her teeth when she let it slip that Winnie found a crush, Sylvia turned around so Pol couldn't see the cringe on her pale skin.

Polly's eyebrows creased, she grabbed Sylvia's arm, turning her back around, "Boy? What boy?"

"Just some... some neighborhood kid she's been running about with. I met him, he seems nice enough." Polly cursed under her breath, "I really think everyone's too hard on her– and Ada for that matter. Winnie is nearly an adult, it's normal for her to be going out and meeting boys."

Aunt Pol wiped her hands on the towel, "I know, it's just that if any Peaky Blinders see her with a boy... they'll tell her brothers and they'll blind him," Sylvia cringed again, gritting her teeth at the thought. "But, please, go find her and make sure she's alright. I can finish up in here."


	9. 06 | I'll Show You

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sylvia joins Grace and Tom at the races and things don't go exactly as planned.

_(_ I'll Show You _)_

❝ _Oh_ , I'll show you a stupid cunt–❞

━━━━

The red dress stood out against the dark bricks andshe couldn't help but cringe at the sight of it. Sylvia knew that Tom gave Grace money for the dress, she didn't say anything about it, even as much as she wanted to. Something about Grace felt off, how Grace asked her questions that Sylvia definitely didn't have the answer to.

Sylvia stood in a loose-fitting green gown, knowing that she and Grace were the bait for Billy Kimber. "You look nice," Grace said quietly and Sylvia raised her eyebrows at the blonde.

"You look like a goddamn tampon." That's what Sylvia so desperately wanted to say, but she couldn't. She had no reason to hate Grace and yet, Sylvette wanted to call Grace a nosy whore before striking her across the face. "Red suits you, I'm sure he'll like your dress a lot..." Sylvia could tell that Grace didn't understand what she meant. And that alone made Sylvia feel smug.

The sound of the family car made Sylvia step out of the road so she wouldn't get run over. Tom gave Slyvia a single nod before Grace climbed in the front, "Is it just the three of us going to the races?" Grace questioned and Tom shrugged.

"Something like that..."

━━━━  
 _At the Races_  
━━━━

Sylvia looked around nervously, hating the attention she wasgetting from the dress. Ever since she removed her shawl and exposed her back, it was like all the men around her suddenly noticed her. It was an important part of her plan, looking so scandalous. Sylvette even bet Tom thirty more quid if she could spill her drink on Kimber without him getting pissed. The heels she wore brought her to Tom's height so she stood out even more. 

Even though Grace wore an entirely red ensemble, Sylvia felt that her exposed skin made her stick out like a sore thumb. "Are you sure we're allowed in here?" Grace said to Tom as he led the women to their destination. 

Tom keeps his hand on the small of Grace's back and Sylvia can't help the twinge of jealous itching its way up her spine. "Well," He begins, "I prefer to come to the races the back way." This elicited a snort from Sylvia, who found the sentence to be an innuendo. "It keeps me out of trouble. Tracks are lawless places. I can't stand petty criminals." Once again, Sylvia couldn't hold back her noise of judgment.

"Go on Tom, tell the lady some more lies." She teased and Grace didn't miss the interaction as he looked over his shoulder at his best friend. 

"This way," He gestured with his arm and Grace just nodded.

"Will we get to lay a bet?" _On a fixed race? Not a good idea_. Sylvia thought as she glanced over her shoulder once more, feeling prying eyes on her skin. 

Tom immediately declined the idea, "Nah. Gambling is for mugs, this way." The trio turned down a corridor before nearly running into a man putting on riding boots. "You two are lucky you're with me, or you'd be wasting your money on fixed races." Sylvia agreed with a nod, having learned a thing or two since she's come home.

She is a family friend, so Polly trusted her to help out almost immediately. Now that Sylvia's been helping, she's been able to flex her math skills. Her old family didn't spend a shit ton of money on schooling for nothing. The thought of France made Sylvia want to go home, to sit in her kitchen and stare at the wallpaper for hours.

Helping out with the bets came with an income, an income that Sylvette put to use by saving for a few weeks and beginning to rent a small one-bedroom flat on Watery Lane. Just a few houses down from the Shelby home. This meant two things, the young Shelby girls got their room back, and Sylvia was free to have privacy. Living with three children and her childhood best friend meant no privacy at all.

"I always wondered, how do you fix a race?" This was another one of the questions that Sylvia didn't like. Grace sounded genuinely curious but why would she want to know how to fix a race? What good would the information be to her? She's just a barmaid after all.

Tom placed a cigarette in his mouth, "How should I know?" The next door was red and had a small circular window on top of it. He held the door open for Sylvia and Grace, letting them walk in front of him before Sylvia let him back in front. "Okay," His voice was lower, clearly only for the three of them to hear. " _You_ do the talking." 

Grace looked like a fish out of the water, "What?" 

He shook his head before turning to Sylvia, "Can you do an Irish accent?" She nodded, happy to help. "Tell security your _Lady_ Abigal Duggan–" A door in front of him opened and Tom nearly ran into it, "–excuse us," He turned back toward Sylvia, "Lady Abigal Duggan of Connemara and that this is your sister, Lady Sarah Duggan."

"Is that all?" Sylvia asked while brushing a stray hair behind her ear. She wasn't worried about the accent, it was easy enough to mimic, she was worried about forgetting the information.

"You two got lost when you went to look for the boy riding your horse, uh, Dandy Flower." He explained, "If they ask about me, say that I'm Prussian and don't speak a word of English." Grace looked uncomfortable with the situation and Sylvia wanted to roll her eyes, stepping in front of Tom so she could get to the security first. "Come on, posh girl. Earn your three quid."

Sylvia looked over her shoulder, "Just smile and look pretty, that should be easy and leave it all to me." The look of surprise on Grace's face made Sylvia know that her accent was on point. Even Tom looked impressed. Just as Sylvia smiled at the man, she saw a grin grace Tom's handsome face before focusing on the security detail.

━━━━

"Do you dance?" Tom wasn't asking Sylvia like she hopedhe would be, he was looking at Grace after taking a drag from his cigarette. She felt painfully ignored and tried to avoid the awkward conversation that she was third-wheeling their rather intimate date by nursing a glass of whiskey. 

Sylvia managed to drown them out as she watched the people dance, if she was being honest, she would have loved to dance with Tom. But he had a plan and that plan involved her seducing Billy Kimber. Even if she didn't want to, that's what friends are for, right? "We're going to dance, he's over there," Tom whispered to Sylvia before leading Grace down to the dance floor.

Her eyes moved across the room until she saw the man known as Billy Kimber, Sylvia pursed her lips before downing the drink and retrieving a new one from a server carrying a tray. "Thank you, darling." She mused with a sinful smirk. Her red lips reminded her of blood but she liked it that way. Luring in a man with the prospect of death seemed so _powerful_ , in Sylvette's opinion.

She descended down the stairs awkwardly, posing as a drunken woman in order for the plan to work. Once she found her way toward Kimber's table, she laughed loudly and tripped, right into his lap, spilling her drink all over him. "My goodness! I am so sorry, I suppose I've had too much to drink!" Sylvia blurted with a giggle, hand right above his crotch.

Billy's jaw twitched as if he wanted to yell at her but the feeling was something he enjoyed. "Sorry," She said when she nearly fell onto him again, Sylvia bit her lip lightly, teasing him. It would be a shame to let her skills in seducing men go down the drain... 

Kimber shook his head, "Oh, it's fine, it's fine miss. Just go and..." She raised her eyebrows at him when he saw she wasn't wearing anything below the dress. Her skin so close but oh so far. 

As if a clock chimed in Sylvia's head, she gasped, "I best be off, Mr. Kimber." She let her hand linger on his shoulder before stumbling away. As soon as she was out of sight, Sylvia stood up straight and smirked at herself, she managed to swipe his wallet. Tom did tell her that if she wanted to, she could steal from Kimber and it seemed like the right thing to do. Billy was dripping in money so taking a few pounds wouldn't hurt anyone.

━━━━  
 _At Kimber's Home_  
━━━━

Sylvia walked around the room slowly before leaning on a table to look at her lipstick in the mirror. When Kimber found out she was with Tom Shelby, Billy practically lost his shit. That was before he asked for both Grace _and_ Sylvia to accompany him at his home.

Grace stood by the window and Sylvia sighed, turning away from the mirror. "You showed me up back there at the races," Billy spoke to Grace and the woman in the green dress rolled her eyes, "Why don't you teach me how to dance properly?"

To be frank, Sylvia didn't trust either of these people. Definitely not the slimebag that is Billy fucking Kimber. He approached Grace and took her hand before pulling her against him. As much as Sylvia doesn't like Grace, she felt bad that Grace has to deal with Kimber's affections. "The music's too slow. Put on a Charleston." Grace suggested with her back stiff.

Kimber saw Sylvia watching and smirked, "You like what you see?"

"If what I see is a prick and a woman dancing then perhaps, I reckon I do," Sylvia leaned against the pool table casually, hoping to get Kimber away from Grace by pissing him off. She could tell he was all about his ego, about being big bucks. Well too bad that he's just a little man. Anger flashed in Kimber's eyes and Sylvia saw the appreciation on Grace's face.

He turned to Grace, "You ever been in a house this big? Hmm?" He stroked her face and Sylvia raised her hand.

"I have, in fact, it was far larger than this pea-sized, shittily decorated estate."

"The fuck did you just say?"

Sylvia's smirk was venomous, "I _said_ that I've been in far larger, better decorated, _massive_ estates." Billy looked furious as he grabbed Sylvette's face and squeezed her jaw tightly. The pain stung but Sylvia was too stubborn to let it show, she just stared Kimber in the eyes. 

"Let her go," Grace demanded and Kimber turned around just long enough for Sylvia to elbow him in the neck. 

He staggered back on the carpet and tried to catch himself with the small table, it just fell with him. Whiskery covered his shirt and Sylvia laughed at the sight before Billy pushed himself up and grabbed her throat this time, "Shut the fuck up, whore." He spat the word out like lemon juice and Sylvia beamed at him. This only proved to piss him off more because she couldn't breathe.

Billy seemed to think he had the upper hand because he fought with Sylvia and turned her around, pressing her against the pool table. Fear raced in her mind but she trusted herself, she knew what to do. Grace would help her, _she would_ , Sylvia was sure of it. He ground against Sylvia and she whimpered, trying to hold out hope.

The wet kisses on her back made her sick, she wanted to kill him. Kimber loosened his grip for just barely a second and Sylvette swung her head back, striking him in the nose. "Fuck!" Kimber shouted and cradled his nose, he pointed a finger at Sylvia, "You stupid cunt," Blood gushed past his hands and onto his white shirt.

"I'm a stupid cunt? _Oh_ , I'll show you a stupid cunt–" In her hand, she held a pool ball, a striped four, and swung it toward Billy but a hand caught hers. 

Tom stood in front of Kimber, protecting him from the blow. Although apart of the plan, for him to stop Sylvia from harming Kimber too much, she wanted Tom to get out of the way. "Don't do anything you'll regret," He spoke quietly to her, pleading for her to listen.

Sylvia suddenly nodded, lowering her arm and promptly dropping the ball on the floor. She didn't stay and listen to Tom explain how Grace supposedly has the clap because all she could think about was how Grace stood there and did absolutely nothing while Kimber assaulted her. How could another woman just watch that?


	10. 07 | Saved Her

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sylvia finally speaks up about what happened at Kimber's after they get done over and it doesn't go the way she thought it would.

_(_ Saved Her _)_

❝I got _assaulted_ because I saved her.❞

━━━━

Sylvia watched the men scramble around in amusement,enjoying the sight of them looking flustered. She felt numb after what transpired at Billy Kimber's house, wanting nothing more than to kick Tom in the balls for stopping her last hit. Tom entered the house and her eyes found him immediately, it was strange how magnetic he was.

"That's your starters, gentleman. No more bets." Scudboat announced that just as a man walked up to the table, he knocked over some coins before being escorted out of the Den. Slowly, but surely, the house empties before there are only a few people left.

Polly smiled at Sylvia when she spotted the young woman as she flipped through a book, "It's a good day," Polly murmured just as Tom walked over, Sylvia nodded toward him and took a long drag from her cigarette. They tasted horrible, but doing something with her hands kept them from shaking.

"Where's John?" Tom asked, looking at what Polly was flipping through.

"The Garrison," Sylvia answered, remembering John announcing that he planned a family meeting. "Says he wants a _family_ meeting, about a _family_ matter." She knew what that meant, it meant that she wouldn't be allowed to attend and she honestly didn't mind that.

Tom gave Polly and Sylvia both an unimpressed look which Sylvia replied to with a roll of her eyes, looking down at today's paper on the table. "After he's said his piece, he'll come back and take his place with Scudboat." Polly pinned her hat, "Scudboat, Sylvia, John will be here in _ten minutes_." The young woman nodded silently, breathing in the smoke through her nose before exhaling through her lips.

Sylvia raised an eyebrow at Tom as he pointed at her and Scudboat, " _Five minutes_. And stay safe, Syl." 

"Always, Tom." He patted her shoulder before he and Polly left for the meeting. Scudboat stood up to lock the doors, "I'll make sure the back door is locked, alright?" Scudboat nodded and set off to lock the front door, Sylvia made her way to the back of the house, walking through the kitchen before she noticed that the door was wide open. 

Just as she was about to scream for Scudboat, a blunt force sent her sprawling into the kitchen table. Sylvia's vision blurred and black dots began forming, she pushed herself back up only to be thrown into the china cabinet, a cascade of glass showered Sylvia in cuts. 

She could hear the shouting of men but couldn't move due to the immense pain in her head and shoulders. Sylvia forced herself to try and move and when she found she could move, she did. Sylvia ignored the searing hot pain and stood up, grabbing the switchblade on the table. Men were running around, ravaging through the place. 

"Put. That. Down." In his hands was what Sylvia knew to be the ashes of a dead family member, the man looked at her before he dropped the vase, allowing it to smash on the floor. Sylvia, despite her wounds, flicked the blade in her hand and exposed the silver before rushing toward him. She stabbed him in the stomach, once, twice, thrice.

He doubled over and fell to the ground in a moaning, writhing mess.

A hand on her shoulder made her grimace in pain before she turned and brought the knife down in the man's collarbone, he screamed in agony.

Sylvia kicked him to the floor and hissed through her teeth at the feeling of the cuts on her legs stretching. "Fuck you!" She screamed at the two men who held her still, the butt of a shotgun to her forehead knocked her out immediately.

━━━━

"Sylvia... Sylvia... Sylvia!" The voice was tooloud, too close, and their breath was just rancid with alcohol. She stretched her hands out quickly trying to push the voice away. "Oi!" The protestor sounded like Arthur. Her eyes opened slowly but she blinked when a bright light shined in her eyes. She covered them with her hands.

"Too bright..." She complained and heard someone say something about turning the light off. Quicker than she could say 'fuck off', the light was gone. "Where am I?" Sylvia asked, draping an arm over her forehead, the injury throbbed with every beat of her heart. 

A chair scraped against the floor, "Kitchen table." Winifred said as she held a damp towel to Sylvia's forehead. "You were out cold when the twins said we'd been done over... Polly found you and guessed that you'd been hit with the end of a gun or something." 

Sylvia agreed slowly, "Uh-huh, that's what happened. Where's Tom? Is he alright?" 

Winnie nodded, "Yea, just consoling Finn and Fawnie. Those bastards put a wire in the car so Tom would... er, blow up... but the kids got in the car. 'Pretending to be him'. There was a hand grenade." Sylvia's eyes widened at the news.

The sound of footsteps made Sylvia want to sit up, Winnie helped the woman slowly move into a seated position. Tom stood in the doorway with his hands in his pockets, "Well, looks who's finally awake."

"Haha, that's hilarious. Win, can you get me some water?" The teenager nodded and went to fetch some, leaving Tom and Sylvia to their own devices. "I'm gonna kill those bastards, you know that, right? Ow, my fucking body burns."

Tom sighed before he brought a fresh cigarette to his lips, "I wish I could let you, but... I've got a plan. And that involves keeping the Lee Family _alive_." 

"Fuck that!" Sylvia shouted with a start and hopped off the table quickly. She hissed through her teeth and shook her head at Tom, "I am _not_ family, therefore I'm not apart of this _plan_ you are concocting." 

"You are fucking family, the fuck are you going on about?" 

"Is that why you haven't listened to a word I've said, about that barmaid? Is that why you let Kimber assault me? Is that fucking why you haven't said a word about it!? Like I'm just supposed to take that treatment and call it a fucking day? If that's what it means to be apart of this family, then I want no part. And, dare I say it? Thomas Shelby, you're an arsehole! A fucking cunt who doesn't think about his actions and how they affect those around him." 

Her jaw was tight, brown eyes darker than ever, and the fact that Tom hardly flinched angered her even more. "Sylvia, I'm sorry that I didn't get there in time."

"Don't lie to me, Tom. You only came cause Grace was there, I heard what you said as I walked out. And the fact that you don't see what I see is what pisses me off, she _didn't_ help me, Tom. _She was right fucking there and didn't bat an eye._ I got _assaulted_ because I saved her. And you're going to give me some shit apology? How dare you?"

"Don't do that," Tom pointed a finger at Sylvia and she turned her head in a silent question, "Don't try and fucking blame me, you agreed to help me. I told you what you had to do _and_ the risks involved–"

She shook her head, unshed tears glimmering in her eyes, "You told me you'd be there before anything happened." Sylvia whispered, "And something happened. And guess what? You weren't there." Sylvia pushed past him and walked toward the front door.

Tom turned around to watch her leave, "And fucking guess what else, Sylvia? You weren't there when _I_ needed you! When my fucking father left us! Where were you then, eh?!" He shouted at her back as she left the Shelby home.


	11. 08 | Fuckin' Forever

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> With the Shelby family finally legal, Sylvia and Tom have a heart-to-heart about what's happened.

_(_ Fuckin' Forever _)_

❝That took fuckin' forever.❞

━━━━

Sylvia dropped to theground just outside the Shelby house. Thomas found her, unconscious and brought her back inside. "It's been nearly four hours..." Polly was pacing with worry, Sylvia hadn't responded yet and it was beginning to look bleak.

"Should we take her to the hospital?" John asked and Tom shook his head.

"No, I think it's just a concussion, nothing a little bit of sleep won't cure. I've got to go, it's about that time." Tom left the kitchen and Polly rolled her eyes at the man.

She brought her hand up to her mouth and chewed on her thumbnail, "What's wrong, aunt Pol?" 

Polly turned toward John, eyes somber. "He's blaming himself, I can see it. Winifred said they were fighting when she walked out... Thomas said some horrible things, apparently. But honestly, it'll do him good to feel guilty about something he's actually had a hand in for once."

━━━━

Sylvia woke up with a start, gasping loudly and slowly. She looked around in confusion, recognizing the room gradually before catching her breath. It was Tom's room, that wasn't the only thing that confused her, the fact that she was inside the Shelby home alone made her question her memory.

She remembered walking home and going to sleep. How she got to the Shelby home was beyond her. Sylvia got off the bed, looked around the small room. Various knickknacks littered the space, giving it a cozy feeling. Sylvia hasn't seen much of his room since she's come home and now she has an opportunity to see how he's made the room his own.

If her memory served her right, this was the room Arthur and Tom shared when Sylvia grew up with them. The room that the young Shelby sisters occupy was the one Sylvia stayed it. But, if Sylvette's being honest, Tom stayed in her room more often than his own room. She looked around once more before making her way out of the room. She held herself up with one arm on the wall, walking at a slow pace so as to not fall down the stairs.

There was a lot of talking in the den, Sylvia could hear it from the stairwell and the headache she felt welled up until she was temporarily blinded by white. She squeezed her eyes shut and put a hand to her forehead, "Fuckin' hell,"

"Sylvie? She's awake, aunt Pol!" Fawnie Shelby shouted through the doorway at the sight of a struggling Slyvia, "Oi! Don't push me," Winnie rushed to Sylvia's side, aiding her by pulling Sylvia's arm around her shoulders.

"Come on, Sylvia, stay awake, you've got this... there you go," Winnie led Sylvia into the kitchen, helping her sit down in one of the chairs gently. Sylvia thanked Winnie quietly and laid her head on the table, Winnie kneeled by the woman, eyes soft with concern, "Tea or water?"

Polly entered the kitchen once more, "Boil some water, make tea and add some peppermint leaves for her headache," Sylvia gave Polly a bewildered expression, "When you've been knocked upon the head like that, there's bound to be some pain afterward. Winifred, have you gone dumb? Boil the damn water," Winifred nodded quickly before getting to work on the peppermint tea.

Fawnie looked up at Sylvia with a concerned look, "When you're better could we go dress shopping?!" Fawn shouted at Sylvia which made the other woman cringe.

"Quit your fuckin' yelling," The little girl's cheeks turned bright red as Finn ran past, pulling on her pigtails.

_"FINN STOP PULLIN' MY FUCKIN' HAIR!"_ Sylvia brought her hands up to cover her ears, the sound of Fawnie's high pitched voice sent a shock straight to Sylvia's head. Polly's hand slapped her niece's wrist, a crack sounded and it only furthered Sylvia's worsening headache. Fawnie looked much more embarrassed than before, head hanging, hand holding her red wrist. "I'm sorry." She apologized before running off. 

Polly sat down at the table as Winifred began serving the tea, "Here you go, Aunt Pol, do you want a cup?" Her aunt nodded and accepted the mint tea with a nod. Winnie sat at the table, "So..." Winnie pondered, drawing circles on the table absentmindedly.

"Fuckin' go, I don't care... _nobody listens to me these days_..." Polly Gray grumbled the last part before she gave Winifred a shooing motion toward the front door. The teen jumped up with excitement.

"Thank you, thank you, thank you!" She yelled as quietly as she could before kissing her aunt's temple and running out of the house. 

The women left in the kitchen sighed at the same time, their eyes met before grins broke out of their faces. Sylvia chuckled lowly and drank her tea, "Christ, this house is a circus." Polly nodded in agreement before standing up upon hearing something. "What's going on?" Sylvia asked, watching Polly push the curtain between the kitchen and the den aside for a moment.

"Come on, you'll want to see this!" Polly sounded excited and helped Sylvia stand up, "I promise, it'll be worth it..." Sylvia gave Polly an annoyed look, "Don't give me that shite, come on Missy." Instead of starting an argument, Sylvette knows she's bound to lose, she just allowed Polly to lead her into the den.

Everyone was quieting down at the sight of Tom standing at the front of the space, all eyes on him. Sylvia saw a similar light behind his eyes that he used to carry. A childlike joy and wonder, "Gentlemen, and ladies." Thomas used his hand to gesture toward she and Polly before continuing, biting his lip lightly.

He lifted the sheet of paper in his hand, "I have in my hand a _legal_ betting license," Small gasps sounded across the room, Sylvia's eyes widened, perhaps it was worth it... "Issued by the Board of Control..." Tom paused for a moment, a smile beginning to form as if he couldn't contain it any longer, "The Shelby family has its first, legal racetrack pitch." 

The men began whooping and hollering and as much as Sylvia wanted to complain about the noise, she couldn't help the happiness she felt at that moment. The pure joy on the Shelby boys' faces made a stupidly wide grin break through her previous somber expression. Polly helped Sylvia make her way toward the Shelby boys.

When she reached them, Sylvia yanked Arthur in for a hug, then John... then, despite the hurtful things he said, she hugged Tom. "Congratulations," Tom squeezed Sylvia just right, not harming her but making her feel secure. John looked down at the paper in wonder before Polly gave them all her own response. 

Sylvia allowed Tom's hand to pull her into his side, it resting above her hip almost protectively. Over the past few months, her view of Tom has slowly morphed into something else... something, _more_. More than childhood friendship and companionship... Sylvia has done her utmost best to ignore the change in her heart, but seeing Tom so happy has brought the feelings into the forefront of her mind.

━━━━

The pair sat beside each other on Tom's bed, not touching, but close enough to feel the warmth radiating off of their bodies. Sylvia felt like a teenager who had no control over her emotions or _physical reactions_. They needed to talk, Sylvia knew that. It wasn't good for them to be fighting, especially with rising tensions with Detective Campbell.

Tom exhaled loudly, "I talked to Grace," He noticed how Sylvia's jaw tensed at the mere mention of the barmaid's name. "And I see what you mean..." She turned to look at Tom's face, eyebrows crinkled in confusion. "She's suspicious, I won't be so lenient when it comes to her any longer." 

"Is that your way of apologizing without having to say the words?" He rolled his eyes, "...I told you so," Sylvia gave Tom a sly smile before he chuckled, shaking his head while doing so. They fell silent once more before Sylvia spoke up again, "You do know that you _have_ to apologize, right? I'm not just going to... accept your half-arsed apology, Tom." 

The man beside her nodded, "I know that... and I am _so_ fucking sorry," Her eyes moved across his face before resting her gaze on his eyes, Tom's adam's apple wavered as he gulped. Sylvia watched him, waiting for him to break under the weight of her scrutiny. Tom bit his lip before sighing once more, "Truly, Sylvie..." 

He reached for her hand, grasping just her fingers. Sylvia held back on reacting to the strangely intimate touch, "I should have listened sooner, I've... I've fucked up... so badly." 

"What'd you do?" Sylvia asked quietly, wanting Tom to finally open up to her.

"I'm the one who stole the guns, Sylvette." Her eyes widened and Tom cut her off before she could begin, "I know, I know! Don't say it, I already know, but I've got it figured out. Now, with this license, we can get enough money to take down Kimber. I'll even let you do it." He held Sylvia's face between his hands and she shook her head no.

Sylvia gave him an incredulous look and pushed his hands away, "Do you truly think I want revenge?" 

"I mean... yes?" 

"You're stupid." She stated simply and the look in Thomas' eyes gave proof to her that he took it to heart, "I don't care about revenge. I care about you...but you're too blinded by foolishness." Sylvia rubbed her jaw, "Tom," She grabbed both of his hands and his jaw tensed for just a second before she saw his eyes soften. "I just want you to _mean_ your apology. I'm a simple woman, all that matters is that you finally fucking mean something you say."

The atmosphere between them felt heavy as though weights were fastened around their necks. "I mean it, I promise. I am sorry and I should have listened to you... I have a theory. But it's got to wait, there's a wedding soon." Sylvia tilted her head, "I've solved the war between the families... but it means fucking over Kimber. And John getting married without a choice in the matter."

She winced, "That's not a very good idea..." Tom shrugged and Sylvia looked at the dark floorboards. 

"I've got to tell-" 

They spoke over one another and Tom shut his mouth nodding for Sylvia to continue. "I-" She squeezed her eyes shut for a moment, fearing Tom's reaction. Her jaw quivered and Tom's forehead creased before he held her cheeks once more, only this time his touch was much softer. Sylvia brought a hand up to hold Tom's hand, rubbing her thumb over his skin. 

Her eyes opened and the air caught in her throat at how close he was to her, his eyes darting between her brown eyes and red lips. Sylvia bit her lip nervously and Tom didn't miss the movement. The position was strange, but Sylvia didn't want to move. "I-" She didn't know how to continue.

In Sylvia's mind, the words were simple. Three simple but life-changing words that shook her to her core. Sylvia saw the emptiness in his eyes, she saw the lack of passion in his facial features. But, in the rose-colored version of the world, Thomas still had the light in his eyes... that he wasn't ruined by the war.

That when Sylvia came back home, the same blue-eyed boy remained untainted, pure, and still sweet. 

Sylvia couldn't find the right words, so she did something that could either make or break their relationship. She kissed Tom softly and he immediately responded, deepening the kiss without pushing himself on her. Her eyelids covered her eyes as she brought her arms around Tom's shoulders to pull him closer.

The kiss stole away her breath and made Sylvia's heart race. The way they sat was awkward, so Sylvia took it upon herself to let Tom pull her onto his lap. When she gasped, Thomas' silver tongue slid into her mouth. Her head felt muddled, the flavor of whiskey and cigarettes being oddly intoxicating. 

When they finally broke away from the kiss, their chests heaved, and they rested their foreheads against one another. Sylvia refused to open her eyes, but she spoke quietly, not wanting to disturb the peace. "That took fuckin' forever."


	12. 09 | Like Sailors

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sylvia warns Tom once more not to trust Grace before she has to attend an impromptu wedding and when things go awry, Sylvia is sure of who has done it.

_(_ Like Sailors _)_

❝You girls curse like sailors...❞

━━━━

"I hired Grace as my accountant..." Tom murmured and Sylvia raised her eyebrows.

"Why're you telling me?" She sounded unaffected and it nearly made Tommy smile.

He shrugged, "Your opinion matters to me." Sylvia snorted at that and shook her head at Tom. "Do you suppose it was a good choice?" Tom asked, seeking Sylvia's eyes in the dark.

It was her turn to shrug her shoulders, "Depends... maybe if you make her think she's gained your trust, then you'll be able to figure out what she's hiding." Tom's eyebrows shot down on his forehead and Sylvia gave him the most unimpressed look she could garner, "You think she's up to no good, but haven't a clue as to what?"

"You're far too smart to not have a theory or two!" She exclaimed and gently patted his chest. They laid on his bed, Sylvia draped over him with Tom's arm around her shoulder. He gave her his typical silent question look, Sylvia sighed. "Just– don't laugh, okay? I feel like an idiot enough as it is." 

Tom rolled his eyes, "Come on _Ms._ _Abigal Duggan_ , tell us your theory!" His tone was teasing but Sylvia just closed her eyes for a moment.

"My... theory, or itch... my fuckin' intuition– whatever you want to call it –is telling me she's with that coppery. That bloke from Belfast... I don't know _why_ it came to mind... but it was when she let Kimber do _that_... when she just stood there, like it didn't matter because I'm in cahoots with Thomas Shelby, a criminal. And the look in her eyes when she knew she fucked up. I would say it was satisfying but I wish you let me kill Kimber." 

Sylvia spoke quickly as though she was being hurried. But really it was just her anxiety of Tom finding her theory to be absolutely batshit crazy and telling her that 'Grace would never do that'... To her surprise, Tom seemed to contemplate the theory. He was silent for a while before cracking a small smile, "30 quid says you're right?" 

"Deal, Mr. Shelby." They both spat in their hands and shook on it, the deal sealed.

━━━━  
 _Present Day_  
━━━━

Sylvia's foot tapped on the floor repeatedly, the young Shelby girls were taking their sweet time in getting ready. "If you girls aren't out in five minutes, I'll leave without you! You'll have to walk all the way there!" She threatened through the door, letting them have their privacy.

"Just a minute!" They shouted in unison.

A few moments later, Fawnie exclaimed loudly, "Shut up, Winnie! I'm almost done!" Sylvia heard the two girls argue and stumble about their shared room for a few minutes before the door opened up.

Fawnie stared up at Sylvia before presenting her with a flower crown, "We made it," Fawn's hair was braided neatly and Winnie wore her blonde hair down, the waves soft and nearly curly.

Winnie stood behind her younger sister, grinning wide. "You've been here forever and... you've hung out with us far more than Ada ever has. 'Specially since she's been pregnant. Think of it as a token of our appreciation."

The younger sister nodded, thrusting the crown toward Sylvia again. A huge smile grew on her face, heart swelling with nothing but love for these girls. Sylvia felt tears prick at her eyes, "Thank you, darlings. This means so much, _oh!_ You want to put it on me?" Fawnie nodded, beaming like an angel. 

She quickly lowered herself so Fawn could place the crown on Sylvia's brown hair. Winifred watched with a smile before Sylvia hugged them tightly. "Thank you for being so welcoming, it means more than you'll ever know." The Shelby girls hugged her back even tighter. Sylvia couldn't help but think about how these girls felt like family now.

"Alright, little ladies. Let us watch John wed a woman he doesn't know." 

The older Shelby sister couldn't help the snarky comment that left her lips, "This isn't the first time he's bed a woman he doesn't know..." Sylvia gasped at Winnie and shook her head before they left for the Lee's. Sylvia tried to ignore the look she saw in Win's eyes, despite the teen's joking tone a look of heartbreak sat in the pretty blue-green of Winifred's eyes.

━━━━  
 _The Wedding_  
━━━━

Fawnie and Finn stood side by side and whispering to one another while Johnny Dogs began to marry Esme Lee and John Shelby. Sylvia loved the simplicity of the affair, wishing she could have lived a simple life and married a simple man just for the sake of domestic bliss. "We're here today to join in matrimony, this man and this woman..."

"I bet she's prettier than that barmaid..." Winnie grumbled and Sylvia gave her a questioning look. "I tried to get drunk and she said I was too young." When Sylvia raised her eyebrows at Winnie, the Shelby girl stuttered for a moment. "She was right but I'm a Shelby. I deserved to forget for one night." 

This concerned Sylvia, Winnie was a rather introverted gal considering what she is. Being a Shelby seemed to gift each member with confidence and an ego larger than their heads. Even if Sylvia loved the family, she could see their flaws as plain as a sunny day. "Forget what, Win?"

"The bastard broke up with me."

Winifred's arms were crossed and her jaw tense, "Oh, that's unfortunate. Did he say why?" The teen shook her head no, Sylvia pulled Winnie into her side by wrapping an arm around her shoulder, "If it helps you, the man I love might just love someone else... even if we kissed."

The gasp that sounded from Winnie's lips was loud, a few Lee's looked over before Winifred shot them glares, "You and Tommy kissed... oh my god... I fuckin' knew it." Then Winnie turned toward Fawn, "You owe me ten quid gremlin." 

Finn's twin stamped her foot on the ground, "Damnit!" Fawn exclaimed before mimicking Winnie's grumpy stance. 

"You girls curse like sailors..." 

"We are Shelby's, Ms. Taylor." 

Sylvia would admit that Winnie was right, oftentimes she found Polly telling the kids off before cursing them out. It was unusual but entertaining. "You're absolutely right..."

"There remains one more part of the ceremony. It's the mingling of the two bloods. So the two families become the one family." Johnny Dogs took a beautifully decorated knife and sliced John and Esme's palms. Then, they pressed their hands together, 'mingling' their blood. A giant grin plastered itself onto Johnny's face before he exclaimed loudly, for everyone to hear.

"I now pronounce you man and wife!" John hesitated in kissing Esme, before Johnny nodded, "Well, John, kiss the bride, will you?" When the two kissed the Lee family broke out in cheers, the younger Shelby's hollered and shouted in excitement as Sylvia clapped.

━━━━  
 _The Reception_  
━━━━

One thing has been plaguing Sylvia's mind since it occurred– the kiss between herself and Tom. She had expected their friendship to take a more romantic turn but alas, she and Tom seemed to still be _just friends_. Sylvia wasn't interested in rushing at all, she just wanted to know the facts.

But Sylvia felt too embarrassed to express her interest in knowing the parameters of this new phase. She looked at the large group of drunken dancers, mixed in were the Shelby kids.

For once, the eleven-year-old Shelby's weren't fighting, but dancing together with Winifred. Sylvia sat alone at one of the makeshift tables, worn out from entertaining the ever-energetic Fawnie Shelby.

Dancing with that young child is like being forced to perform manual labor for three days straight with no food or rest. In other words, Sylvia was beyond exhausted.

She watched as Tom made his way to Ada who was spinning and dancing much like her younger siblings. He grabbed Ada's arm lightly, gaining her attention and although Sylvia didn't know what he said, she could guess from the animosity in Ada's eyes he told her to sit down.

"Come and look, Esme!" Ada exclaimed, gaining the eyes of many. Come and look at the family you've joined. Come and look at the man who runs it!" She pointed at Thomas, "Chooses his brothers' wives for them! He hunts his own sister down like a _rat_ , and he tries to kill his own brother-in-law!" She wasn't done yet, Sylvia could tell that much. 

Ada then pointed at Sylvia and stared at Tom angrily, _"Look at the man who's going to kill his best friend!_ The one who's ruining her just by association! It's not going to be long before he makes her marry him!" Sylvia felt a pang in her heart, the words hitting too close to home. She knew Ada was drunk and she knew Ada _hopefully_ didn't mean the words.

Tom held his hands up at Ada as Polly and Arthur stepped in, Polly holding Ada back. "Ada, that's enough!" Arthur exclaimed, trying to yell softly at Ada. Sylvia knew he hated yelling at his sister, she could tell by the way he cringed after ordering her to stop.

"And now he won't even let me have a fucking dance!" She shook Polly's hands off of her shoulders and Tom yelled her name, "Not even at a fucking wedding!" Everyone began telling her to calm down and Sylvia felt something, it wasn't a bad something... more of a hunch. Ada began heaving her breaths and Sylvia shakes her head at herself before the sight of water dropping between Ada's legs met her eyes.

Immediately, Sylvia jumped into action. She rushed over to Ada, "Holy shit. _Water._ Right." Polly looked around with wide eyes. 

"Not now, Ada! Bloody hell, you do pick your times!" Arthur groaned as Sylvia smiled at Ada. She looked over her shoulder at Tom, fear was painted on his face and it confused Sylvette quite a bit.

"Let's go, let's go, let's go!" John yelled as everyone began leading Ada toward the cars.

━━━━  
 _At the Shelby Residence_  
━━━━

Ada howled loudly, "You've got this, Ada!" Sylvia held Ada's hand, allowing the woman to squeeze as tightly as needed. Esme felt Ada's belly.

"I think it might be the wrong way around. I attended three sisters." Esme spoke to Polly and Sylvia looked at Ada to reassure her.

Polly felt around and nodded, "Yeah, I think you're right." The women moved Ada forward into a crouch, "Alright, come on. It's not too long now, darling.

"Come on Ada, push! One, two, three!" Soon after, Ada's baby boy came into the world and Sylvia showered young Ada in praise before the sound of knocking on the door gained the women's attention. "Is it him?" Sylvia asked and Polly nodded, this sent Sylvia running toward the door, wanting to give Freddie as much time with his wife and child as possible.

She rushed down the stairs and ripped the door open, Freddie stood before her with crazed eyes, Sylvia pulled him inside. "She's upstairs, go on," It didn't take anything else to send Freddie sprinting up the stairs, Sylvia smiled at the sight of pure devotion in his eyes. Sylvia took her time in making her way back toward the room, letting her body to finally relax.

Throughout the entire day and the night, she's been tense, but now, knowing Ada's got her husband with her... Sylvia feels content enough to sigh lightly and walk up the stairs, one at a time. 

It's too bad that life isn't sunshine and rainbows though, "Open up, police!" Beats sounded on the door and Sylvia felt absolute dread spread through her body. Her jaw tensed as the door was broken down, she turned around shaking her head.

"No, don't do this!" Sylvia tried to stop them from getting up the stairs but one of the policemen pushed her against the wall, pressing her face into the wallpaper as men ran up the stairs. Sylvia could hear the shouts of protests coming from everyone but couldn't do anything.

Besides the fear of Freddie Thorne's life, another thought plagued her mind. The thought of Billy Kimber pushing Sylvia up against the pool table, her jaw tensed and she thrashed against the officer's hold, "Let me go!" Sylvia shouted, only to be silenced by him pressing further against her neck.

The next thing she saw was Freddie being hauled out of the house, screaming his wife's name.

The policeman finally released her and she just fell to the floor. The exhaustion taking over her. Sylvia brought her hand to her mouth, trying to figure out how the hell the cops knew where Freddie was... the whole thing felt _off_. She chewed her lip and tried to figure out who snitched.

When it dawned on her, Sylvia followed Polly to the Garrison, prepared to get the truth. For once in Sylvette's life, she prayed she'd lose this bet.


	13. 10 | French Fucks

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sylvia confronts the spy and when she returns home after taking care of Ada, she sees a man who abandoned his family.

_(_ French Fucks _)_

❝Those French fucks _didn't_ abandon their family.❞

━━━━

When Sylvette found that Grace had departed for the night, Sylvia went home to her flat and slept.

Now, Sylvia stood outside Grace's door, debating about going through with it. Her nostrils flared before she knocked on the door sharply, it door opened quickly and Grace had a smile on her face before she realized who was knocking.

Grace tried to close the door but Sylvia caught it with her foot, Sylvia pushed the door open harshly and got into Grace's face. "Tell me the truth right fucking now," Sylvia spoke lowly and stared down at Grace menacingly. 

The blonde stared at Sylvia defiantly, feigning that she wasn't affected. This pissed Sylvia off more, her inner sirens blared loudly in her head, Sylvia pressed the blade of her knife against Grace's throat. "Say a lie, I dare you. Lies make me nose itch." Grace gulped, "Tell me I'm wrong and I won't say anything to Tom,"

"Wrong about what?" Grace asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Wrong about you feeding information to that Irish prick from Belfast. Tell me I'm wrong and I'll _stop_ doubting you," Sylvia made sure to watch Grace's eyes, she saw a panic flash through them and Sylvia's nostrils swelled again.

The tension was thick as Grace took her time in answering Sylvia, Sylvia could feel the lie coming before Grace even breathed a word. "I don't know who you're talking about." 

Sylvia shook her head and scrunched her nose, "That tickled my nose, Grace. _Stop lying!"_ Sylvia shouted at the woman, adding more pressure to the blade, a bit of blood trickled down the pale skin of Grace's throat.

Just as Sylvia is going to cut Grace, she speaks up, "Will you tell Thomas?" 

A laugh escapes her lips, it isn't one of being entertained... no, it's more of a warning sound, a laugh of pity, "No, you will. And you'll die for it." Sylvia pushed Grace into the table and promptly left the woman's home. She wanted so desperately to be wrong... Sylvia truly wanted her itch to be wrong for just one time... 

━━━━  
 _Ada's Home_  
━━━━

"What're we taking her?" Fawnie queried Sylvia, eyeing the basket with curiosity.

Sylvia shifted the basket on her arm, "Food. For her and the baby." The young girl nodded and began running when she saw the familiar building, "Oi! Slow down," Fawnie listened immediately by halting her movements, waiting for Sylvia to catch up. "What did I say about staying by my side?" 

The girl's shoulders fell and her cheeks flushed, "To always stay beside or really close..." 

"Good girl," She ruffled Fawn's hair before Fawn pushed Sylvia's hands away. The pair made their way toward the 'hidden' door, knocking on it rather quietly. There was a basket of rotten food outside the door, Sylvia knew Polly left it.

A voice sounded through the door, _"Go away!"_ Ada shouted and Sylvia rolled her eyes. 

"Come on, hun, it's us." 

"Yea! I'm here too!" Fawnie beat her hands on the door and before Sylvia could scold her, the door opened. Ada looked wrecked, in her arms sat the baby Karl and all Sylvia felt she could do was bring the young mother in for a hug.

Ada shoved her head into Sylvia's neck, "Shh, it's alright, babe." She rubbed Ada's back as Fawnie rushed into the small room. The sound of a light sob leaving Ada's throat broke Sylvia's heart. "I know it hurts, let's get inside, yea?" Ada nodded and let Sylvia in.

The women and young girl talked for a few hours and before Sylvia left, she made sure Ada was eating. "How's the little baby been?"

"Good? I mean, he's far better than that shite right there," Fawnie gasped which made Ada smile, "You dramatic little bastard, come 'ere." Fawn hugged her sister's legs and Ada patted the girl's head. Karl laid in his crib so Sylvia finally went in for a departure hug. 

"Be safe, Ada. Don't forget to eat."

━━━━  
 _The Shelby Residence_  
━━━━

The man sat comfortably at the kitchen table when Sylvia entered, her eyes widened as Arthur Shelby Senior's eyebrows shot up. "Well, look who it is. Finally got away from those French fucks?" 

Her jaw tensed, sure, she hated France. But those 'French Fucks' were her people to shit on, not his. "Those French fucks _didn't_ abandon their family." Sylvia spat out bitterly, surprising those around her.

Fawnie entered and stared at the ground, he looked at her, clearly confused. "Who's this?" 

Polly laughed, leaning on the shelf, shaking her head. "Your daughter." Arthur shook his head and Polly just nodded, "Remember when you cheated on Miriam, got yourself a little babe. And then you fucking left your family behind, like a coward."

He chuckled dryly, "Where's everyone else? We've got two more bastards than normal but three missing."

"Surprised you know how many children you have..." Polly spat out.

Sylvia's nostrils flared and her knuckles cracked as she squeezed her fists tightly, John set a hand on her shoulder. She mustered up a crappy fake smile, "Call Fawn a bastard again," The young woman threatened and Polly gave her an appreciative smile. Arthur refused to meet Sylvia and his father's eyes.

The young Finn stood beside his sister, holding her hand tightly as her head hung in shame. "Looks like the apple doesn't fall so far from the tree, eh?"

"The fuck does that mean?" Sylvia asked, eyes flaming with anger.

"Your mother was a mad bitch too." Arthur Senior said casually as if it was normal to shit on women without consequence. Sylvia launched herself at the table but John managed to catch her, pulling her against his chest.

"It's not worth it Syl, believe me... he's not fuckin' worth it," John said this lowly, letting only Sylvia hear his words. She nodded and stood up, putting a stoic look on her furious face. Her fists were still clenched tightly, waiting for the chance to nail Arthur in the face.

She noticed Tom enter the kitchen before everyone else, only for a moment did confusion cover Tom's face, then he saw his absentee father sitting in the chair he used to occupy during dinner. "Get out." Tom ignored Arthur Senior's greetings, getting straight to the point.

"Come on, son. I'm a changed man." Sylvia snorted loudly, crossing her tense arms across her chest.

Tom shook his head no, "This family needed you 10 years ago. And you walked out on us." His eyes were daggers, "Not now. Get out of this house."

Arthur doesn't meet his brother's eyes, "Tommy, he's different."

_"Shut up."_

Their father shook his head, "It's all right, son. Arthur Shelby... never stays where he's not welcome." He glanced around the room, looking at Tom for a moment before meeting Sylvia's eyes and looking her up and down, "Quite something you've both become." Arthur ruffles Finn's hair lovingly before he leaves, "Bye, son."

Finn watches his dad walk away but John pulls him back, shaking his head at Finn.


	14. 11 | Lack of Appreciation

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> With newfound knowledge about Grace, Sylvia once again warns Tom before writing a letter back home.

_(_ Lack of Appreciation _)_

❝ _I am very sorry for my lack of appreciation for you and Helen._ ❞

━━━━

"Don't tell her _anything_..." Sylvia thought out loud, looking up at Tom to meet his eyes. "She's no good, don't risk anything." She gives him a small smile, hoping he'll listen. Sylvia wants nothing more than to tell him that Grace has been screwing everyone over, but that's Grace's truth to tell.

Sylvia isn't one to steal people's opportunity to come clean. She's just seeing how long Grace will wait for, it'll let Sylvia know just how _bad_ of a person Grace is. "I won't." Tom reached into his pocket and presented Sylvia with a flat box, she raised her eyebrows at him. "Happy birthday." 

"You remembered?" The question made Tom nod profusely, but before he could speak, Sylvia wrapped her arms around his neck and embraced him tightly. "Thank you," Nobody else knows when Sylvia's birthday is. She doesn't even know, it's around this time of the year but she never got a birth certificate so she doesn't know her birthday.

It's the thought that matters to Sylvia, "You haven't even seen the gift yet," 

"The gift doesn't mean as much as your remembering does." 

"Well, _shite_. Maybe I should just throw this out then since you value _thought_ so much." Sylvia rolled her eyes at Tom and he sat the box in her hands. The necklace inside is beautiful, to say the least. In the middle sat a golden locket, surrounding it was a frame of various gemstones. Tom smiled at her reaction, _"It was your mother's..."_

Sylvia's smile dropped and an expression of pure wonder replaced it. Her big brown eyes reminded him of Fawnie whenever she saw some candies. "Really?" He saw the tears form in her eyes, she placed the top back onto the box and hugged Thomas once more. "Thank you so much," Her hold on him was tighter than before.

━━━━  
 _At the Marketplace_  
━━━━

Later Sylvia found out inside the locket sat a photo of her mother. She cried for a moment, she's never had something of her mother's before and the fact that her childhood best friend was the one who gifted it to her made it so much better. She watches as the Shelby sisters meander around the marketplace. 

Sylvia's hand subconsciously holds the locket, Winnie seems to notice. "What's that?" She points at the necklace.

"A locket, Tom gave it to me." 

"What's inside?" Fawnie pulled on Sylvia's arm, eyes wide.

The woman smiled down at Fawn, "A photo of my mum." Fawnie's eyes fell to the ground at the word 'mum'. Sylvia's eyebrows screwed with worry, "What's wrong, love?" Sylvia lowered herself down to Fawn's height. 

The little girl pouted, "My mum isn't here anymore." Sylvia didn't understand, she knows that their mother died, but Fawn seemed to refer to Miriam as only her mother. 

Winnie noticed Sylvia's confusion, "She has a different mum. Dropped her off when she was three..." This made Sylvia's entire being hurt, not only was Fawnie abandoned by her father, but her mother did the same thing. 

"Oh, honey." The hug Sylvia gave Fawnie was tight and secure, "Nobody deserves that,"

━━━━

The typewriter in front of Sylvia mocked her. She sighed, Sylvia promised she'd write to him at some point. "Fuck." Her leg bounced up and down under the desk as she placed her fingers in place, ready to write a shitty letter to a man who hardly raised her.

_Dear Paul,_

_I hope this letter finds you well. It has been a while and I'd like to apologize for that. I haven't gotten around to writing you since it has been rather hectic since my arrival in Birmingham. The family I once knew has changed drastically, I will not indulge in the details since that is not why I am writing to you._

_I have made my decision, I will be staying in England and if you want to remove my name from your will... I won't be bitter. I understand that my departure was not during a very good time and that you needed someone there._

_Although now that I look back upon my memories of growing up with you lot, all I can remember are the good times. Such as my sixteenth birthday when I was gifted with my schooling. Even though I hated it while I was in school, I now have come to appreciate it._

_I am very sorry for my lack of appreciation for you and Helen. You two did what you could for me even if some of your reasoning behind adopting me was less than savory. I wish you the best and hope to be able to see you soon. Even if I stay in England forever, I will do my utmost best to stay in touch._

_Should I stop writing you for longer than a year, then assume the worst. I'm saying that purely because speculating if I am alive or not will only drive you further to madness. In regards to my inevitable demise, if I am to pass before you, please give whatever you planned to give to me to creditable orphanages. And a bit to a Fawnie Rose Shelby and a Winifred Shelby._

_They are young girls deserving of nothing short of the best. I know they will make good use of whatever I may have received upon your departure._

_Thank you for taking me in despite not having to. It didn't mean much at the time, but now, I'm very glad I grew up in another country. You have not only gifted me with material items, but with the knowledge of another culture, language, and various educational bits of knowledge. I have found myself using my mathematical skills more often than ever with my new profession._

_Sincerely, Sylvette_


	15. 12 | Being an Idiot

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The day of reckoning has come upon the Shelby family as Kimber's men descend upon them. But Ada and Sylvia won't allow them to fight recklessly and Sylvia remembers a better time.

_(_ Being an Idiot _)_

❝Comes with being an idiot.❞

━━━━

When Tom burst into Ada's home, Sylvia knew that something was wrong. From the way his eyes were wide and filled with what looked like panic to the tense arch of his shoulders. He pointed at the two of them, Ada holding Karl in her arms lovingly was about to scream at Tom for busting into the house. "The both of you, _stay here!"_ He demanded and it scared Sylvette.

Due to her stubbornness, Slyvia immediately wanted to object against his order. But something about how he looked frightened her to her core. Without another word, Thomas left the house, and the women shared a look of confusion. Sylvia had no idea what he could be talking about but Ada must have had an idea. Her eyes widened, " _It's_ today."

"What's today?" Sylvia's voice was bewildered, she didn't know of anything special happening today.

Ada chuckled dryly, "Black Star Day. I should have fuckin' knew that idiot would go through with it." Ada handed Karl to Sylvia and this caused her confusion to only grow. She then remembered hearing something about Black Star Day from John. He never explained exactly what it was but she recalled something about a fight.

Sylvia did not like that she didn't know about whatever was going to happen. "What're you doing?"

"What's it look like I'm doing? I'm fuckin' going, I'm not letting them get themselves killed." As much as Sylvia wanted to defy Tom, he looked serious. When his pale blue eyes met her matching blue eyes, Sylvia saw something she never saw in them before. Even before the war, she'd never seen such horror in Thomas Shelby's eyes. It was an odd look on him.

For Tom's only true fear in life was losing control. Sylvia felt a surge of confidence– despite the ill-feeling in her ribs –at the sight of Ada being so calm, "Well, if you're going, so am I," Ada didn't oppose as she opened her wardrobe, her hands immediately found a black dress, "Why black?" Sylvia asked as Karl burped in her arms, she rubbed and patted his small back. 

The small boy reminded Sylvia of a dream she once had, of having a child when she grew up. But when she was yanked from her home and shipped off to a new family... that dream faded into nothingness.

"In preparation for the funeral's we'll have to attend if these men go through with this stupid fight." Ada's words alarmed Sylvia, Tom's face flashed in her mind, then John, then Arthur, and poor Finn! Sylvette's heart rate skyrocketed. The next few faces she saw were those of the Shelby women, how wrecked they'd be if they lost their boys...

"We have to stop them," She said this with a tight jaw and hard eyes, Sylvia wouldn't let the boys slaughter themselves. Not without a fight that is. The Shelby woman nodded and got dressed quickly before taking Karl so Sylvia could borrow one of Ada's black dresses. As much as she sometimes hated the boys and their useless fights, Sylvia loved them without a doubt.

Returning from France was hard, but she found that although both she _and_ Tom had changed, their friendship was still there... and it seemed to only grow into something much more romantic with each passing day. The thought that the fighting had already begun only made Sylvia dress hastier.

Once Sylvette was rather presentable, Ada nodded at her appearance and turned toward the door. "Let's go," Ada had Karl in his stroller. _Why in the world would she bring her child?_ Slyvia thought to herself and Ada noticed how Sylvia stared at the black carrier. "They won't shoot a baby..." Ada looked blankly at the stone ground for a moment, "I hope."

"They won't and if they do, I'll personally see to it they _all_ fucking die." Sylvia's jaw tightened at the mere thought of the sweet baby Karl being hurt in the process. "Perhaps we _should_ stay here." The unsettling ache in her chest was only growing in size the closer the women got to the Garrison. 

Ada shook her head, "No, I'm not letting them kill themselves because they're thinking with their cocks and not with the heads on their shoulders." Sylvia so badly wanted to laugh at Ada's vulgarity, but the weight of the situation made her heart thump in her ears. The black dress was similar to the color of the bricks that paved the ground, it also reminded Slyvia of the possible fatalities that would come if they couldn't stop the fight from happening.

The walk toward The Garrison was silent. Sylvia tried to calm her nerves but nothing worked. So she resorted to holding the small handgun that sat inside her purse, perhaps feeling strong would help. Or so Sylvia thought, the gun only caused her hands to shake more. She then decided to think about when Thomas gifted her with the weapon.

━━━━  
 _Flashback_  
━━━━

_Aunt Polly told Sylvia that Tom wanted to speak to her, it perplexed her as Tom could have just come to the flat that Sylvia miraculously managed to find. After staying in the spare room for almost four months, she decided to actually look for a home of her own._

_Not too far from the Shelby's house sat an unoccupied home for rent. The second floor was being used by a family which meant Sylvia had to share a bathroom so she often would go to the Shelby residence for a bit more privacy._

_When she entered the Den, it was strangely empty even though it was midday. The room should have been buzzing with men placing their bets. But it wasn't, this struck her as odd. That wasn't the only thing that stood out to her either, Sylvia had expected to find Tom sitting in his office, looking tired as he normally did. But instead, she found him sitting in the kitchen, with tea instead of whiskey in front of him. He looked up when Sylvia saw him and there was something unnerving about the look in his eyes._

_She couldn't quite place what emotion he was feeling but it looked like something unpleasant. "Would you like some tea?" Sylvia's answer was a simple nod of her head as she pulled the chair across from him out, it scraping loudly on the floor despite her lifting it off the floor the best she could. Sitting down, not saying a word as Tom handed Sylvette the cup of tea._

_"What's the matter?" She's quite worried Tom's going to tell her he never wants to see her again. She's warned him about her bad feeling associated with the new barmaid, Grace. The feeling wasn't something Sylvia was unfamiliar with and according to Polly, it was the Gypsy blood from Sylvia's mother. Usually, whenever Sylvette has a bad feeling– or intuition rather –about someone she's typically right._

_Tom sat his cup down before reaching into his pocket, he pulled out his cigarette case. "I got you a gift." He runs the end of the cigarette along his lips and she stares at him shamelessly. Sylvia knew Tom felt something too, she tried to explain that she felt more than friendship with the blatant flirting and the long stares but it seemed to go nowhere because of Grace._

_And Sylvia knows she can't hate her, but it did feel so nice to try and place blame on Grace for Tom's... lack of feelings for herself. "What for?" She too sat her teacup down and reached for Tom's cigarette, he took it from between his lips and handed Sylvia it before grabbing a new one. It was already lit and the damp feeling made her sad. That would probably be the closest she would ever get to kissing her best friend..._

_"Protection." This made her wonder what it could be. At first, Sylvia thought it might be a Shelby ring with a large "S" stamped into the metal or maybe a necklace. Now, she's at a loss."You're with us so you've got enemies too."_

_"Comes with being an idiot."_

_Tom's lips perked up as he took a long drag from his cigarette, "How so?"_

_"I'm with the Shelby's, you lot are always in trouble." Sylvia's voice is steady but the gravity of her words doesn't go unnoticed by the two. Tom nods and holds his cigarette with his mouth as he stands up, leaving the kitchen without an explanation. Instead of following him like a lost duckling, she drinks the rest of her tea. It'd be a shame to let it go to waste._

_When he returns, in his hands is a large black box. He sets it on the table and she stares at him in confusion, "It's your gift Sylvia, open it." He points with his cigarette as she smashes her own down into the ashtray. The box opens with ease and inside sits a small silver gun. Sylvia gives Tom a pointed look._

_"A gun?" He nodded again, "You're giving a gun... as a gift?"_

_Tom rolls his eyes, "Yea. You're gonna need lessons, let's go out back."_

_This makes her roll her eyes, "Of course you don't think I can't use a gun..." Tom's eyebrows rose in question, "I know how to use a gun, Tom." She reiterated more clearly and the statement made new questions arise in his mind, it made old memories play in hers. She stared at the gun before picking it up, "Thank you... for caring."_

━━━━  
 _End of Flashback_  
━━━━

Thinking about the gift made Sylvia's breathing steady as the feeling of her arm being tugged brought her back to the present. "Where are you, Syl?"

"I'm here now." She decided and noticed a grouping of men, they're aiming weapons across the gap between them as the women speed their advancement up.


	16. 13 | I Love You

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nobody expected the battle against Kimber to end in such a horrible way.

_(_ I Love You _)_

❝I love you, Tom.❞

━━━━

_"MOVE!"_ Ada and Sylvia pushed past the men, Sylvia's purse sat on her shoulder, her hand still stuck inside on the gun.

On Freddie Thorne's shoulder was a large machine gun, "What are you doing?!" He exclaimed as the two of them move to stand between the men. Tom's eyes met Sylvia's and she knew he' was pissed. She tried to throw him an apologetic look before hardening her gaze on Kimber's men. Sylvia remembered Billy Kimber from the races, when she joined Tom and Grace. He looked greasy then and still does now.

The sight of him made Sylvia want to punch him, for him to feel a _fraction_ of the fear she felt when he took advantage of her. His nose looked crooked and Sylvette would be a liar if she said she didn't feel a tad bit smug upon seeing that.

"I believe you boys call this 'no man's land'." Ada's voice is clipped.

Sylvia looked at Ada with a grin, "Well, it's a good thing we aren't men." She gave Sylvia a smirk in return. All of the men look confused, not sure what to do. Karl stirred in the stroller and Freddie's eyes never strayed from Ada's. Sylvia can feel Tom's eyes on her, begging her to meet his gaze but she knew that if she did, Sylvia might have just stood down and let the men do their thing.

"Ada!" Freddie yelled before Ada cut him off.

She pushed Karl's stroller to a stop, "Shut up and listen!"

"Have you lost your mind?!" Both she and Ada snapped their eyes to Freddie's, worried is written all over his face as she pointed at him.

"I said, _shut up!"_ Billy Kimber looked back at his men and Sylvia stared him down. Hoping to cause some unease and when he met her gaze she gave him a wicked smile. His jaw tightened as he realized who Syliva was, the woman who broke his nose when he tried to force himself upon herself. He visibly gulped. "Now, most of you were in France. So you all know what happens next."

Ada paused, before looking at the Peaky Blinders, Sylvia didn't let her gaze on Kimber falter as Ada continued speaking, "I've got brothers and a husband here, but you've all got somebody waiting for you. Now, I'm wearing black in _preparation_." She removed the hat from her head, showing her already mournful expression.

_"I want you to look at me."_ The change in her tone let them all know, she's speaking to every man before Sylvia, Ada, and Karl. "I want you all to look at me! We'll be wearing black for you. Think about _them_. Think about them _right now_ , and fight if you want to, but that baby ain't moving anywhere. And neither are we." Sylvia nodded her head, she agreed immediately. 

Ada and Sylvia moved off to the side, leaving Karl in the middle of it all. Sylvia knew Ada wasn't an idiot. She wouldn't leave her baby in the middle of a warzone unless she was absolutely sure he'd be okay.

Sylvia clenched her fist, the gun in her purse feeling like a million pounds. Since her eyes haven't moved from Kimber, she sensed the change before it happens. The ache burned at her heart before her intuition told Sylvia to move. 

"She's right, you know. Why should all you men die? It should just be them whose caused it!" Sylvia's legs moved before she could stop herseld as Kimber raised his gun toward Tom.

"Sylvia, no!" The words fell on deaf ears. Her arm raised as she fires her gun through her purse, hitting Kimber once in the arm. 

Although Sylvia was the farthest person from Tom, she managed to catch _both_ of the bullets aimed at him. The first one hits her side, it burned but Sylvia pushed on before the second pierced her straight through the chest. 

_So that's why it ached_. Sylvette thought sarcastically before she fell back due to the sheer force, not truly feeling the pain just yet. Sylvia's ears felt like they were pushed underwater, everything muffled as chaos ensued around her. _"Don't shoot!"_ A voice shouted, she couldn't tell who exactly.

Her eyelids felt heavy, Sylvia wanted to sleep. Another gunshot followed by an entire round of a gun before something blocked the light of the sun from her vision. Azure eyes met her copper-colored eyes. Tom's face was full of torment. 

His lip quivered as he held Sylvia against him, "Sylvia?! Look at me! Do not close your fucking eyes! Sylvia!" As his voice felt farther away.

The dying woman smiled as hard as she could, tears pooling in her eyes before she mumbled her last words, "I love you, Tom." Sylvia felt her heart give out as she gave his hand holding her own, one last squeeze.

━━━━  
 _The Aftermath_  
━━━━

After Sylvia died in Tom's arms, it was like his entire world stopped turning. He refused to believe what just happened was true, he ran to the house and begged Polly to do something. _Anything_. _She isn't gone, she can't be_. He kept thinking the words over and over again.

Even though Polly could tell by the paleness of Sylvia's skin that she was gone, Polly tried for Tom. She wanted nothing else than for Sylvia to open her pretty eyes and complain about the pain. But Sylvia was silent as Polly dug the bullet out, the second one went clean through her and hit Tom. _Not that he would tell anyone that_. "Please, Pol." Tom had pleaded, never leaving Sylvia's side.

He was so desperate that he considered praying to the God he left behind so long ago, the one who never helped him...

Polly tried for an hour before deciding to tell him the truth. The sad, devastating truth that she was gone. That Tom would never see Sylvia's smirk again, never hear her call him Tom... the only person who doesn't call him Tommy or Thomas. He'd never see her blush when Tom flirts back, hoping she'd understand that he loved her. That he was _in love_ with her.

Thomas Shelby was completely consumed by everything about her. How she laughed, the way her eyes lit up when she figured something out, how well she handled the younger Shelby's, how Tom fantasized about swooping her up and taking her away to start a family of their own... how Tom so desperately needed her to survive because he's lost far too much in his life.

Losing Sylvia a second time would surely ruin the man. "Tommy..." His eyes were red for he'd been silently crying into Sylvia's arm, holding her chilled hand tightly, willing her to squeeze his fingers again.

_"NO!"_ He screamed, he was outraged. He'd emptied his bullets on Kimber before he rushed to Sylvia's side, he may have avenged her death but all he wanted to do was burn the world. "She can't be gone!" Tom's voice cracked as new tears fell down his red cheeks, "I hadn't done it yet!" Polly had not a clue what he was talking about. But the small box in his coat felt heavier than ever. It held the most expensive thing he'd ever bought before.

He knew it was _the_ ring... when he saw it, he knew it was _perfect_. And although Sylvia and Tom hadn't defined their relationship as a pair usually does, he knew she would say yes. Or at least he hoped she would. But now he'd _never_ know. "Done what, Tom?"

Tommy's nostrils flared, he wanted to scream at her not to call him that. To tell her that only Sylvette Taylor– his first love –could call him Tom. "I hadn't _proposed_." Tom pulled the box out, he opened it and sniffed, staring at the ring with ire. "After I dealt with Kimber... I was going to ask her to marry me." 

Polly couldn't help but hug Thomas, he didn't hug back but she knew he needed something. "I was going to spend the rest of my life with her, Aunt Pol... and now I can't." Thomas Shelby felt broken. 

He'd just lost his world, but when Fawnie ran in with tears down her face, he knew everything had truly going to shit, "Tommy, something's happened to Winnie," It was like everything was out to get Thomas Shelby on Black Star Day.


End file.
